Recovery
by willowww
Summary: AU set after the events of season 1, mostly focusing on Vanessa's recovery from possession and exorcism as well as the recovery of the others after what they endured. Will be continued as a chapter story if you enjoy! Vanessa/Ethan
1. chapter 1

In the days after, Vanessa was alone.

Sir Malcolm attempted to visit the first few days, however stopped, with Sembene simply stating he had "become busy". With what, Vanessa was unsure. The young doctor had become preoccupied as well, with his somewhat mysterious "project". He only had the time to visit for checkups, in which he seemed nervous around her and eager to leave. Vanessa did not mind, however. She understood. The only two things she was bothered by were the lack of Ethan, and the fact that she minded he had not visited.

Sir Malcolm had explained it had been Ethan who helped her. That he saved her life.

But then to hide away afterwards... Vanessa did not understand.

Walking had become something of the past in the last several days, with her legs seemingly useless. Each attempt to walk at first was fruitless, as she could barely convince her body to even come close to swinging her legs out of bed. Food was delivered to her by whomever was brave enough to speak to her or willing to bother, and other than that there was no human interaction. However, she had struck up what she assumed to be a friendship with a bird who continued to watch her from outside her window each day. Generally, she preferred animals when they were dead and able to be taxidermied - although such thoughts provoked memories she was not yet comfortable reliving.

Her room no longer felt like a haven, a room in which she was alone with her God and her thoughts, but instead a place in which demons could penetrate. Since having this realisation, her room seemed darker than she remembered it, and God no longer seemed so close. She began to despise her room; or what she came to see as a prison cell.

On the 12th day of being bedridden and alone, Vanessa was able to drag her legs out of bed and hobble over to the chair by the window. It was a welcome change, and her bird friend tapped on the window in what Vanessa took to be a friendly gesture. She tapped a light rhythm back to it, and it flew away. Yes, animals were easier to understand and befriend once dead. By lunch, she had grown exhausted and retired to bed once more.

On the 18th day, her hour long chair-sitting sessions advanced into being able to stand for longer periods of time, and she found she was able to walk somewhat painlessly. Or at least in a way in which she could ignore the impending exhaustion. She decided to venture downstairs and hopefully reconnect with the world she felt she had lost touch with. However, upon reaching the grand staircase, she found herself unable to walk further. Her legs could not step beyond the top stair, as if an invisible barrier held her back. She tried to convince herself it was pain and exhaustion, although once she climbed back into bed she realised it had been fear.

On the 20th day, she left her room once more and this time, was not stuck at the stairs - due to a short burst of confidence that wore off shortly after. The silence of the house unnerved her, however, and caused her to tip toe in case of anyone hearing her and realising she was out of bed. If they were to hear her before her hearing them, it would cause her to have frustrating conversations over her health that she did not intend on having yet. She merely intended on observing and reconnecting with her surroundings. She passed the room in which she knew Sir Malcolm would be, and held her ear to the door. Inside she heard voices.

"We don't know that, Sir Malcolm." said a frustrated young voice, clearly that of Dr Frankenstein.

"What do we know then? Because it seems each time we discuss this, we know less." Sir Malcolm replied in his usually harsh tone.

"You should be having this discussion with her, not each other. You wanna know more about it? Ask the woman who knows _first hand._ " Vanessa almost gasped at the sound of the American accent, none other than Ethan Chandler.

"Oh yes, and you would know, wouldn't you? The man who hasn't spoken to her once in the last, what? 2 weeks? More?" The young doctor replied with the usual sarcastic tone he took with Ethan. The room went silent as Ethan seemed to pause.

"You don't know what happened up there. You have no idea." He said in a dark voice.

"With all due respect, Ethan, we all saw how she was. We do understand." Sir Malcolm intervened.

"No you don't! You weren't the one who... who... I mean, hell, you were keeping her in pain to find Mina! You were only helping her for your own good! What would you understand?" Ethan said angrily in a hushed voice, as if trying not to alert Vanessa.

"Look, all we are trying to establish is what actually happened. And whether... well, whether we can trust her." Sir Malcolm replied, sighing.

"You know we can trust her. You should trust her a whole lot more than you do." Ethan said. Suddenly, Vanessa heard a shuffling of feet and panicked. Eavesdropping is not generally the epitome of trustworthiness. However, due to the uncoordinated nature of her still recovering body, she tripped as she stepped backwards and fell, just as the door opened. She looked up to find Sir Malcolm, Dr Frankenstein and Ethan staring down at her from the doorway.

"Hello." She muttered, before passing out on the floor.


	2. chapter 2

I'm enjoying writing this story! I'm not sure how long it'll be at the moment, but it'll be a few more chapters at least. Please like, favourite and review if you enjoy and also send me any suggestions/requests for oneshots or chapters! I'll be trying to make my chapters longer after this one as well. Thanks for reading :) - W

On the 22nd day, she woke up from her short coma and found Ethan sitting beside her.

"You came." She resisted a smile as she spoke, not wanting to reveal anything unnecessarily. He nodded.

"I did." He replied. Silence fell upon the two.

"I'm sorry." He added quietly. She tilted her head in question.

"Why?"

"I abandoned you for two weeks." He explained.

"20 days, actually." She corrected before berating herself for sounding obsessive. He gave her a strange look and she blushed slightly.

"I didn't have much else to do but count the days." She explained, hopefully correcting her mistake. He nodded, and silence fell once more.

"You're looking better." Ethan remarked. Had she the energy, Vanessa would have laughed.

"One would hope so. I looked... not my best, last time we met." She replied. Suddenly she recalled what Sir Malcolm told her.

"It was you, was it not? Who helped... my predicament? I do not remember." She asked quietly. Ethan didn't acknowledge her question for several seconds, instead focusing on the floor.

"Yeah it was me." He said eventually.

"It's okay Ethan, we need not discuss it yet. I simply would like to thank you." She assured him, wishing she had the energy to reach out and take his hand.

"No need to thank me." He replied. Neither said a word to each other for several minutes until Ethan stood to leave.

"Well, I'll just be going then, I guess. Goodbye, Miss Ives." He said as he left. Vanessa's heart sunk as she imagined the next time she saw him being another several weeks away.

"Wait!" She called. He stopped and turned to face her. "I... come back whenever you'd like, alright?" She internally groaned at her words.

"Sure." He replied with a small smile, before leaving. Alone with her thoughts once more, Vanessa contemplated her next movement. She likely did not have the energy to walk downstairs once more, and the others did not seem ready to speak with her anyway. A tapping at the window drew her from her thoughts. There he was again, her little bird friend. Vanessa smiled and wished could will her body to sit by the window with him.

"I should give you a name, I suppose. Would that be nice?" She whispered, knowing the bird would not respond. She watched the bird as it flapped its wings and flew away.

"I shall need to think, my friend." She muttered. She chuckled suddenly.

"I think I'm going mad." She thought, deciding talking to a bird outside her window was bad enough, let alone talking to herself. Madness, however, was not an unfamiliar aspect of her life. In fact, some days it seemed sanity was a more insane prospect.

"Vanessa? May I come in?" Sir Malcolm asked from the doorway, breaking her from her thoughts.

"Of course." She replied with a small smile. He pulled up a chair beside her bed.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Better. How are you feeling?" She asked carefully, unsure if even she was ready to discuss the events of late.

"I'm not sure, if I am honest. All this time trying to find Mina, save her... only for it to end this way. It's difficult to grasp, I suppose." He sighed. Vanessa nodded.

"We lost Mina long ago, though. Long before he took her from us." She said. Sir Malcolm nodded. Vanessa bit her lip nervously, afraid to ask the question she longed to ask.

"What is it?" Sir Malcolm asked.

"What did you mean?" She replied.

"When?"

"You know when, Sir Malcolm. Please tell me." Sir Malcolm sighed, and raised his face to look her directly in the eye.

"I meant exactly what I said, Vanessa. As you said, we lost Mina long ago... and I had a daughter all that time staring me in the face. It just unfortunately took you being in danger for me to realise." He responded with a sad smile. Vanessa smiled in return.

"I've always considered you like a second father, you know. Your returns from your trips were the most exciting of times when we were kids. Mina and I, we'd-" She cut herself off with a gasp as it hit her. Peter and Mina were dead. Her parents were dead. She had no one except those of Grandage Place. A tear rolled down her cheek and she turned away from Sir Malcolm in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry." She whispered as her shaky hands rubbed tears from her eyes. Sir Malcolm shook his head and reached out to wipe a tear from her cheek.

"I just... I haven't even thought, I haven't..."

"It's okay, Vanessa. Everything will be okay." Sir Malcolm replied, his own eyes watering at the thought of his lost children. He pulled her into a hug, and she allowed tears to steadily roll down her face so long as no one could see her cry. After many minutes like this, they broke away.

"I promised the doctor I would assist him with something. Will you be alright if I leave?" He asked gently. Vanessa nodded, no longer crying but her face evidence to her tears.

"Ill be back later on." He added, before leaving.

Vanessa sighed. What a terrible thing it is to be alone.


	3. chapter 3

Hey guys!! Thanks so much for your lovely reviews, they keep me writing :)) and thanks to the Guest who suggested an idea, I'll give it a go!! I'm honestly not entirely sure where this story is going but hopefully it'll live up to expectations ;) - W

Loneliness was an entirely unfamiliar prospect to Vanessa Ives as a child.

She had not grown up poor in any sense of the word, and had actually been rather wealthy, like Sir Malcolm's family. Her father had a high earning career that allowed them to live in the grand house they did, although for the life of her Vanessa could not remember exactly what his job was. It was certainly nothing as intriguing as Sir Malcolm's explorations, however, and likely bored Vanessa incredibly as a child.

Growing up, Vanessa grew to believe that wealth meant you were never lonely. Wealth brought images to mind of her many household staff tending to the rooms and saying "Hello!" as she passed them by. Wealth reminded her of the huge celebrations for each member of either the Ives or Murray family's birthdays - where they would crowd around a long table and share unnecessarily large meals, laughing all evening long. Wealth felt like comfort, home, family, friends. Wealth made her feel as if loneliness was not a state you could even enter.

The word poor brought entirely different images to mind, however. It reminded her of her highly anticipated trips to London with her mother, where as they walked down the street they would pass dirt-covered children sitting by rubbish bins in silence. It made her think of a girl who was a vague acquaintance of Mina, who sat alone wearing rags each day. To young Vanessa, the word poor was an insult, a shameful label - something whispered in gossip and never said too loudly for fear of "catching" poorness and poverty.

Once she began to consider her own future, she vowed she would never be poor. Not because she feared wearing rags, or being judged, but because she feared isolation. She vowed never to be poor so that she would never be alone.

Alas, it was a childish and naive vow to take, as it seemed she would end up alone either way. Wealth did not equal being surrounded by those who love you, nor did poverty equal loneliness. Neither, in fact, helped at all in the end, unless to buy false company. And while she felt incredibly alone, she would not sink so low.

Strangely, there were some people in the world who would never experience loneliness. The main person that came to mind with this thought was Mina. Born into a wealthy and loving family who had hired staff and lived next door to another loving family, Mina was never alone, particularly as a child. Not only that, but she was one of those people who would make you desperate to be around her, to be near her. Vanessa smiled as she remembered innocent little Mina. The naive young girl was likely unaware of loneliness, having rarely been exposed to it. Vanessa's smile faded. Mina was probably quite alone in her last days.

Shaking the thought from her mind, Vanessa slowly swung her legs off the bed and hobbled over to the chair by the window. Her bird friend seemed to sense her presence and flew over to the window to greet her.

"Are you ready for your name, my friend?" She whispered, touching her fingers to the window. The bird chirped as if in response.

"I would like to call you... may I call you Ariel?" The bird flapped its wings. "Is that a yes? I suppose it must be." Vanessa smiled slightly. "I taxidermied a bird once, as a little girl. He was a beautiful hawk, quite a lot bigger than you. I named him the same as you, after the character in Shakespeare's The Tempest. But, I suppose I'm naming you after that hawk." She muttered. The bird chirped once more and flew away, and as it left the isolation hit Vanessa once more like a blizzard of cold air, hitting her in the chest.

It was another week until Ethan returned. Vanessa, while pleased to see him, was growing irritated with isolation and being bedridden.

"Mr Chandler. What brings you here?" She asked calmly as he entered her bedroom. He was carrying a cup of tea in each hand.

"You told me I could return whenever, right? So I'm here." He smiled. He handed the cup of tea to her before sitting in the chair beside her, and she smiled to him in return.

"Can I ask how you've been?" He asked her after a short silence.

"You may." She replied. He chuckled slightly.

"Well? How are you?"

"I am well, Ethan. I'm still tired, but... I'm better."

"But you're still bedridden?" Ethan replied with a questioning look. Vanessa nodded slowly.

"Unfortunately, I cannot stand for very long." She explained. Ethan shook his head.

"You should be able to get up though, surely. It's been almost a month. What's the real reason?" He asked.

"That is the real reason."

"Vanessa..." Ethan sighed. Vanessa shook her head. "Tell me, Mr Chandler, what have you been up to since I last saw you?" She said, attempting to change the subject.

"Vanessa, please. You can talk to me." He said gently, placing a hand on her knee.

"I do not wish to discuss it any further Ethan. Please, tell me what you've been up to." She asked. He saw the pleading in her eyes, and decided to leave the conversation for a later time. "Well, I've not been doing much, honestly. I went to visit..."

Almost two hours passed as they talked without either Ethan or Vanessa noticing. Eventually, they were interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Sir Malcolm requests that you come down for dinner." Sembene stated from the doorway. Vanessa nodded. "Thank you for coming, Ethan. I'll see you soon, yes?" She smiled. Ethan nodded and stood to leave.

"No. He requests both of you." Sembene interrupted. Ethan smiled.

"Well, Miss Ives, would you do me the pleasure of joining me for dinner?" He asked, holding out a hand. Vanessa frowned and shook her head.

"I am fine, thank you Ethan." She replied.

"Sir Malcolm believes the "fresh air" will do you good, Miss Ives." Sembene interjected.

"I said no." Vanessa said frustratedly. Ethan raised his hands in surrender and nodded. "Goodbye Miss Ives." He said, before leaving.

Once they left Vanessa's room, Sembene and Ethan joined Sir Malcolm downstairs.

"She would not join us downstairs?" Sir Malcolm asked. While he attempted to mask it, his eyes gave away his concern. Ethan nodded, and ran a hand through his hair in exasperation. "I'm worried." He admitted. And while no one replied, it was clear everyone agreed.


	4. chapter 4

As always, thanks for the reviews, faves and likes! Lots of love - W

After dinner, Sir Malcolm had led Ethan and Victor to the living room, where they sat in silence. Ethan held his cup of tea tightly to warm his cold hands, however gave up once it began to become lukewarm. Eventually the silence of the room grew deafening, and Ethan could take it no longer.

"What's wrong with her, Doctor?" He asked Victor. A hint of worry slipped through his voice, something that Victor caught straight away. He sighed.

"I would need to do a proper examination, Mr Chandler, and while I conducted one immediately after... her illness, I think we all know how willing she will be to receive more prodding and poking." He replied, subconsciously rubbing his hands together. He looked down at his hands in confusion once he noticed why he was doing, trying to figure out why he may be exhibiting a nervous tic.

"Well then, possibly you may be able to conduct an examination from afar, Dr Frankenstein?" Sir Malcolm interjected. Victor's brow furrowed in confusion. "Just make a guess." Ethan explained. Victor nodded.

"Ah. Well, I suppose I could make an educated guess... but it would be based solely off theory and not at all on fact." He explained. Ethan nodded. "That's all we need." He said, looking into his cup of tea. His cup had become empty faster than he expected, and he no longer had something to distract himself with. Victor nodded slowly and hummed in thought.

"Well, my first observation would be that at this point in her recovery, she should be able to walk almost perfectly. She should not be bedridden by this point, particularly as we know she is able to walk. The fact that she refuses to, alludes to a different issue altogether." He explained. Sir Malcolm and Ethan watched Victor with both worried and eager eyes. "Therefore, my second observation is that... I believe she may be affected in her mind, rather than her physical body."

"By the illness?" Sir Malcolm asked. Victor shook his head. "By that maybe, but I'd wager it is mostly due to recent traumatic events and past traumatic events seeming to affect her more than previously."

"So it's mental trauma? Mental trauma can cause her be bedridden?" Sir Malcolm asked. Ethan nodded with a dark look in his eyes.

"I've experienced it myself." He said in a low voice. Victor began packing up his bag to leave.

"Well, that may make you the perfect person to aid her recovery, Ethan." Victor said. Ethan nodded. "I have another engagement now, but I will return tomorrow to check up on her. Try your best, Mr Chandler." Victor said, before leaving. Ethan stood up after Victor left.

"Where are you going?" Sir Malcolm asked.

"To try my best." Ethan replied, before heading upstairs towards Vanessa.

"Ethan." She said in a hoarse voice from her bed. Ethan pulled up a chair to her bed.

"Are you sick?" He asked. Vanessa shook her head. "I have not used my voice in several hours." She explained. Ethan hid his frown, knowing it would only frustrate her.

"Have you been doing much, since I last saw you?" She asked him. "No, just some... no. Nothing really." He replied. Vanessa chuckled.

"You're not very reassuring, Mr Chandler. Are you hiding something from me?" She asked with a smile. "I could never hide a thing from you, Miss Ives." He smiled in return. "And you?" He asked carefully.

"What do you mean?" Vanessa asked. "Well, have you been doing much since last time we met?" Ethan clarified.

"Ah, well... there was a particularly loud bird outside my window yesterday morning, and I do believe the chair you are sitting on is beginning to wear from all its recent usage. I also have noticed that my ceiling needs to be repainted." Vanessa said with a slight smirk. Ethan chuckled. "You know that wasn't what I meant, Vanessa." She nodded. "I do." She said, without a hint of wanting to continue the conversation. To her surprise, Ethan dropped the topic when she cued him to.

"You know, when I finally came back, I could still hear it all like it was still happening in front of me." Ethan spoke after a short silence. Vanessa knew immediately what he meant. "What could you hear?" She asked softly. Ethan's eyes seemed to transport to somewhere else.

"I could hear the gunfire, and the screams. It was the screams I heard the most. They were the worst part. I could always hear this one young girl. I knew it was her every time I heard it and I just wanted to... I don't know. I just couldn't stop hearing it all. It haunted me for a long time." Ethan paused. "Everywhere I turned it followed me. Do you understand what I mean?" Vanessa nodded and placed her hand on his.

"I do, Ethan." She said quietly, her eyes soft and understanding. He nodded and smiled slightly in return. "Do you ever feel that way?" He asked. Vanessa nodded.

"Sometimes... sometimes I can hear Mina talking to me as if we're playing in the gardens again. As if we're still children. She doesn't say very much, she just calls my name. Like we're chasing each other endlessly through the hedge maze." Vanessa chuckled slightly. "It sounds ridiculous out loud." She said, looking away. Ethan gently pulled her face back to face him.

"It doesn't at all. It's progress." He smiled.


	5. chapter 5

A/N: I can't apologise enough for how long it has been since I've updated this story!! I'm very sorry to all of you who have read this story and continue to support it, it should be starting to be updated more often. Thank you all for your continuing support.

Sunlight was streaming in on to Vanessa's face when she woke. She blinked several times to focus her eyes and to get used to the invading sun rays in her sight.

"What..." she mumbled, noticing the rustling sound coming from nearby. She sat up immediately, assuming the worst, and prepared herself for a fight with her nightmares. "Ethan." She sighed in relief, recognising the man standing beside her cupboard. Ethan looked up with a startled expression, seemingly surprised to hear her voice.

"I thought you'd be asleep for longer." He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck embarrassedly.

"What are you doing in my room?" Vanessa questioned with a raised eyebrow. Ethan held up a blanket he seemed to have found in her cupboard.

"Look for this." He replied. He smiled slightly. "I have plans for breakfast, if you still wish to follow them?" He suggested, approaching her bedside.

"Are we going out?" Vanessa asked as she swung her legs out of bed and reached for her hairbrush. She began attempting to tame the thick knots that had developed over night.

"In... a sense, yes." Ethan replied ominously. Vanessa frowned in worry, but hid it as soon as Ethan noticed. "Is that alright?" He asked.

"I just... I do not think I am well enough today. I woke up feeling rather ill." Vanessa lied. She felt guilt building in her chest as the lie came out so automatically. Ethan's expression seemed unreadable, a sure sign Vanessa had noticed meant that he was attempting to hide his true expression.

"We're not going far. Only to the backyard." Ethan assured her. Vanessa did not feel very assured. He beckoned for her to follow him.

"I'm in my nightgown, Mr Chandler." Vanessa said. Ethan shrugged.

"I'll be the only one to see it. Sir Malcolm and Victor are away on business today, and Sembene is likely to remain indoors." He replied. He beckoned once more and began to walk to the door. "So, do you accept my invitation, Miss Ives?" He smiled.

Vanessa hesitantly smiled. "I suppose... if we're not to be out for very long. And if it is just you. But not for too long." She agreed. Ethan grinned.

"Meet me outside. I have to get one more thing." He smiled. Vanessa gave him a wary look, but nodded.

As Vanessa approached the door leading to the backyard, she found her feet beginning to fail her. Her head began pounding and she felt an urgent need to sit down. Just as the room began spinning, Ethan joined her. "Vanessa?" He questioned worryingly, noting her dazed expression. He placed the tray and blanket he was holding on a nearby table and gently took Vanessa's hand, pulling up a chair for her to sit on.

Vanessa shut her eyes in pain as a headache grew in her mind, and Ethan cleverly took that as a sign to remain silent. Soon after, the headache passed, and she opened her eyes once more. That was when she noticed the tray full of breakfast foods and drinks, all quite lovingly arranged and prepared. "Ethan... what's this?" She whispered, looking up to meet his eyes.

"Sunlight and fresh air can heal a lot of things, Vanessa. I thought we could enjoy our breakfast outdoors today. However, if that's too much, I have another idea." Ethan replied with a small smile. He stood and opened the doors in front of them, allowing sunlight and a cool breeze to flood into the room. He then gently wrapped the blanket around Vanessa's shoulders. Vanessa closed her eyes and took a deep, shakey breath as the fresh air hit her.

"It's been a long time since I have felt the feeling of the wind on my skin. You were right." She said quietly. She opened her eyes and turned to the man beside her with a gentle expression. "Thank you, Ethan." She whispered. Ethan pulled his chair closer to her and tucked the blanket around her tighter, checking she was not getting too cold.

"No need to thank me." Ethan mumbled through a pastry he had ungracefully stuffed into his mouth. Vanessa laughed, and slowly found herself leaning in closer to Ethan, until she was centimetres away from his shoulder.

"Can..." she began nervously, before being interrupted by a soft nod from Ethan. She gently rested her head on his shoulder, and the two watched the world go by together beside pastries and juice.


End file.
